Iguanas are lizards identified by their stocky stature, the saggy skin on their throats and the spines that protrude from their heads, necks, backs and tails. Iguanas are popular pets and can live 15 to 20 years if cared for properly.
Since they don't need to actively hunt for their food, iguanas are very laid back creatures. Iguanas typically spend their days lounging in the sun to keep warm and from time to time they will get up for a snack. The green iguana will forage in the same spot every day, according to the Smithsonian.
Eggs are laid in a burrow in a warm, sunny area. The mother covers the eggs and then walks away. According to the San Diego Zoo, the burrow will stay a steady 77 to 89 degrees Fahrenheit (25 to 32 degrees Celsius), which incubates the eggs until they hatch. The baby iguanas are completely on their own for the three years it takes to fully mature because their mother never returns. Many young never make it to maturity.
An adult Grand Cayman blue iguana on its namesake island. (Image credit: Julie Larsen Maher/Wildlife Conservation Society.)
Kingdom: Animalia Subkingdom: Bilateria Infrakingdom: Deuterostomia Phylum: Chordata Subphylum: Vertebrata Infraphylum: Gnathostomata Superclass: Tetrapoda Class: Reptilia Order: Squamata Suborder: Iguania Family: Iguanidae Genera: Amblyrhynchus, Brachylophus, Conolophus, Ctenosaura, Cyclura, Dipsosaurus, Iguana, Sauromalus Species: Examples include:
Iguana iguana (green iguana)Brachylophus bulabula (Fiji banded iguana)Amblyrhynchus cristatus (Galápagos marine iguana)Conolophus marthae (Galápagos pink land iguana)Dipsosaurus dorsalis (common desert iguana)Ctenosaura bakeri (Utila spiny-tailed iguana)
The Galápagos pink land iguana is labeled as critically endangered. As of 2012, only one small population existed in an area of less than 25 square kilometers (9.6 square miles). Only 192 mature members were counted. The Utila spiny-tailed iguana is also considered critically endangered. It's only found on the island of Utila, Honduras, and its population is believed to be less than 5,000.
The green, or tree, iguana (Iguana iguana) from South America, is just one of the live species on display in Darwin, the most in-depth exhibition ever mounted on this highly original thinker, November 19, 2005, through May 29, 2006, at the American Museum of Natural History. (Image credit: © Joe McDonald, Clyde Peeling’s Reptiland)
Green iguanas are tough. They can drop from a branch up to 40 feet (12 meters) high, hit the ground and survive, according to National Geographic.
In Central and South America, people farm and eat iguanas.
Additional resources
Reptiles Magazine: Green Iguana Care SheetUniversity of Florida: Dealing with Iguanas in the South Florida LandscapeGalapagos Conservancy: Iguanas and LizardsVCA Animal Hospitals: What Do Iguanas Eat?